In considering ideas of inheritance in relation to Corinne, or Italy, I would argue that Corinne’s own experiences with inheritance and legacy are as interesting as Oswald’s. Corinne is a product of two cultures, a child born to a British father and an Italian mother. However, it is worth noting that the culture in which Corinne develops and flourishes is that of Italy. In this sense, her cultural inheritance is matrilineal in nature. This is further underlined by Corinne’s rejection of her father’s surname in order for her to pursue her passions. In a sense, her father’s legacy is prematurely dismissed, whereas her mother’s is embraced. In relation to these legacies, it may also be worth considering how they impact Corinne as a character. While her embrace of Italian heritage offers her success and creative outlet, it’s also notable that the legacy of her father’s name is something that she cannot escape. This suggests the improbability of truly rejecting, or freeing oneself from, an inheritance of any kind. This raises the question of whether inheritance can potentially act in opposition to transcendence.
Considering Oswald’s experience with inheritance offers an opportunity for further consideration of this potentially antagonistic relationship. As discussed several times in class, Oswald inherits a sense of guilt from his father. This guilt seems to be at the root of his conflicts regarding his relationship with Corinne. Although there are a number of contributing factors to Oswald’s anxieties in this area, he does illustrate behavior that suggests his ability move beyond these factors. When Oswald and Corinne are discussing religion, she poses the idea that the specificities of worship might be less important than the idea of worship itself. This is a suggestion that Oswald does not wholly reject. However, the one thing that he cannot seem to surpass is the guilt he feels at the prospect of going against his father’s wishes. Once he realizes how explicitly his father has forbidden a relationship with Corinne, he is no longer able to progress toward a union with her. His ability to transcend personal biases in the pursuit of love seems to be halted by the legacy of guilt inherited from his father.
The experiences of inheritance discussed in relation to Oswald and Corinne are largely familial in nature, but Properzia Rossi by Felicia Hemans explores a different type of legacy. On one hand, Hemans is writing from the perspective of a poet(Rossi), which suggests a sort of vocational inheritance. One might argue that Properzia Rossi is the inheritor of a poetic tradition that has enabled her to leave a legacy. This presents the idea that artistic traditions illustrate the transient nature of certain types of inheritance. Upon her death, Rossi will cease to be anything, including a poet, but the poetic tradition will be passed on through her art. In a sense, Properzia Rossi is a legacy of the speaker, something to be inherited not only by the lover to whom the words are directed, but also by anyone who is artistically influenced by the composition. This concept can also extend beyond the boundaries of the poem to relate to the legacy of Hemans herself. The ways in which the art of the speaker serve as a legacy could also be applied to an interpretation of Hemans’ own art as legacy. Of course, Properzia Rossi also embodies the idea of the legacy of emotion, particularly of love. The poem serves as a record of intense emotion and the desire for that emotion to live beyond the speaker. In this sense, the emotion itself can be viewed as legacy, with the poem functioning as a vehicle of delivery.
Considering Properzia Rossi in terms of both acquisition and bestowal of inheritance may raise the question of what Corinne and Oswald not only inherit but also leave as legacies. In considering Oswald and Lucile’s daughter, Juliet, this becomes a more concrete concern. On one hand, Corinne’s involvement in her niece’s education seems to suggest the possibility of her passing down a cultural and artistic legacy. In contrast, the dischord and lack of internal resolution with which de Stael leaves Oswald suggests that his own legacy may be one of guilt and shame, not entirely unrelated to the nature of his inheritance from his own father.
ENGL 864 Cara Response Due 6/11/14
In considering ideas of inheritance in relation to Corinne, or Italy, I would argue that Corinne’s own experiences with inheritance and legacy are as interesting as Oswald’s. Corinne is a product of two cultures, a child born to a British father and an Italian mother. However, it is worth noting that the culture in which Corinne develops and flourishes is that of Italy. In this sense, her cultural inheritance is matrilineal in nature. This is further underlined by Corinne’s rejection of her father’s surname in order for her to pursue her passions. In a sense, her father’s legacy is prematurely dismissed, whereas her mother’s is embraced. In relation to these legacies, it may also be worth considering how they impact Corinne as a character. While her embrace of Italian heritage offers her success and creative outlet, it’s also notable that the legacy of her father’s name is something that she cannot escape. This suggests the improbability of truly rejecting, or freeing oneself from, an inheritance of any kind. This raises the question of whether inheritance can potentially act in opposition to transcendence.
Considering Oswald’s experience with inheritance offers an opportunity for further consideration of this potentially antagonistic relationship. As discussed several times in class, Oswald inherits a sense of guilt from his father. This guilt seems to be at the root of his conflicts regarding his relationship with Corinne. Although there are a number of contributing factors to Oswald’s anxieties in this area, he does illustrate behavior that suggests his ability move beyond these factors. When Oswald and Corinne are discussing religion, she poses the idea that the specificities of worship might be less important than the idea of worship itself. This is a suggestion that Oswald does not wholly reject. However, the one thing that he cannot seem to surpass is the guilt he feels at the prospect of going against his father’s wishes. Once he realizes how explicitly his father has forbidden a relationship with Corinne, he is no longer able to progress toward a union with her. His ability to transcend personal biases in the pursuit of love seems to be halted by the legacy of guilt inherited from his father.
The experiences of inheritance discussed in relation to Oswald and Corinne are largely familial in nature, but Properzia Rossi by Felicia Hemans explores a different type of legacy. On one hand, Hemans is writing from the perspective of a poet(Rossi), which suggests a sort of vocational inheritance. One might argue that Properzia Rossi is the inheritor of a poetic tradition that has enabled her to leave a legacy. This presents the idea that artistic traditions illustrate the transient nature of certain types of inheritance. Upon her death, Rossi will cease to be anything, including a poet, but the poetic tradition will be passed on through her art. In a sense, Properzia Rossi is a legacy of the speaker, something to be inherited not only by the lover to whom the words are directed, but also by anyone who is artistically influenced by the composition. This concept can also extend beyond the boundaries of the poem to relate to the legacy of Hemans herself. The ways in which the art of the speaker serve as a legacy could also be applied to an interpretation of Hemans’ own art as legacy. Of course, Properzia Rossi also embodies the idea of the legacy of emotion, particularly of love. The poem serves as a record of intense emotion and the desire for that emotion to live beyond the speaker. In this sense, the emotion itself can be viewed as legacy, with the poem functioning as a vehicle of delivery.
Considering Properzia Rossi in terms of both acquisition and bestowal of inheritance may raise the question of what Corinne and Oswald not only inherit but also leave as legacies. In considering Oswald and Lucile’s daughter, Juliet, this becomes a more concrete concern. On one hand, Corinne’s involvement in her niece’s education seems to suggest the possibility of her passing down a cultural and artistic legacy. In contrast, the dischord and lack of internal resolution with which de Stael leaves Oswald suggests that his own legacy may be one of guilt and shame, not entirely unrelated to the nature of his inheritance from his own father.